The Flower That Never Wilts
by T.E.Rose
Summary: It has been three years since Gjallarhorn came and took from them so much. This is the story, or at least a part, of what one of those Iron Flowers is now doing. One-shot featuring Eugene and guest. Please Read and Review! I want to know what you think.


Iron Blooded Orphans

The Flower That Never Wilts

Chapter 1; It was late

Authors Note: I just need to say that the dearth of fiction set in the IBO universe was a huge disappointment. I absolutely loved this series and was hoping to see that other people had as well. I was hoping to see people who had expanded upon the existing material or made slight changes to the source material and created something new and spectacular. Instead I found almost nothing and it was so sad. There is so much potential for someone with imagination, gumption and time to flush out some absolutely fabulous plotlines.

All that being said I felt compelled to add something to this fandom because honestly it deserves it, this series was so much better than some of the other Gundam series out there (looking at you Seed Destiny) that I felt the need to show it a bit of love. I would dearly love to see an explosion of quality fiction set in the IBO verse here but I know that it's unlikely.

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It was late.

It was late and the winter winds were rising. Howling down the mostly vacant corridors of the city. Caressing glass and steel and concrete searching for cracks in the cities armor so it could reach inside and caress the cities inhabitants.

It was late and for the most part the constant drone that could be found in most cities regardless of the time had mostly faded away to nothing; muffled or perhaps stifled by the weather, it was after all the heart of winter.

It was late and in spite of this simple fact the cities heartbeat continued to beat a steady tattoo, it never seemed to completely disappear, not in a city as significant as Edmonton was at any rate.

It was late and cold by the window. Yet here he was standing beside it his forehead pressed against the frosted glass. The heat from his breath clearing a small patch only for it to fog back over each time as he drew in a new one.

Not that he minded any, he knew what he'd see if the window were clear. Streetlights, snowdrifts, the occasional brave soul bundled up against the frigid making their way down the streets to somewhere.

Eugene loved it here. Especially in the winter turning he put his back against the chilled glass and watched his companion sleep. He could just make out her form beneath the sheets, just make out the steady rise and fall of her chest as she slept.

As he gazed at her though he felt conflicted. She worked for Gjallarhorn. Gjallarhorn who had taken so much from him, who had snatched away the lives of so many of his comrades, the lives his friends, the lives of his family, before finally they came and took his home too. It had been almost four years since that last fateful engagement on the outskirts of Chryse. Four years of mostly bitter memories.

There were times he felt like a coward for living when so many others had not been so fortunate but he knew that wasn't the case, well most of the time he knew. Someone had needed to lead the remnants of their once merry band of misfits after they escaped. Someone had needed to take responsibility for them to make sure that they didn't all end up dead anyway making the sacrifices of Orga, Mikazuki, Akihiro and all of the others who had died meaningless. So he did his best not to dishonor them in the aftermath. It was a responsibility that he had once coveted, a responsibility that he had once years ago allowed to cause friction between Orga and himself, a responsibility he had once craved but now loathed.

He still kept in contact with everyone. Well almost everyone. Ride had gone off the grid following the fallout and a few others had gone with him. A year ago he'd heard about the media mogul Nobliss Gordon being found dead, he'd been assassinated. He had been shot repeatedly and left in a crumpled heap in the bathroom of his home. It didn't take much of a leap in logic for him to figure out who had done that bit of cold justice.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts of bitter times he allowed himself to once more look at the woman who had taken to sharing his bed over the past six months. It was hard for him to fathom. She was beautiful but strong, she believed deeply in Gjallarhorn despite the things it had done. She was nobody in particular but that didn't matter as much anymore. Most of the families that made up the Seven Stars of Gjallarhorn had died out, new blood was required to keep the organization a float and functioning properly. It explained how someone with no real connections that he was aware of, someone with just drive, determination and skill had managed to climb as high as she had managed at her young age.

To be honest she reminded him a bit of Kudelia. She spoke constantly about all of the changes she wanted to have a hand in helping to bring about inside her organization and in society in general.

Ostensibly she was here in the Arbrau capital to act as a liaison between the Arbrau Defense Force and the Gjallarhorn Judicial Police Garrison but Eugene wondered if there might not be a different reason for her being here in this place.

From what he had gathered she had been given her choice of assignments and had chosen to come here, to work with the Prime Minister Makani, the man who had help shape the Maiden of Revolution, a moniker Kudelia still proudly wore to this day. He wondered if it might not be happening again but this time within Gjallarhorn itself. In any case he was glad that she had decided to pursue the course that she had, otherwise their paths might never have crossed even in his capacity as personal security to the Prime Minster.

He highly doubted that it was just to help smooth things over and to repair relations with the Sovereign nation that her organization had been caught meddling in the affairs of that she was here in this place.

He watched as Julieta shifted in her sleep, the sheet that was covering her lithe frame slipping to reveal a bit of pale shoulder. He smiled a bit to himself as he made his way over so he that he could pull the sheet back up. As he drew his hand away her's reached out and took hold of his stopping him. Her fingers were warm and strong on his as she tugged slightly.

When Eugene was leaning down over her again she leaned up and kissed him sleepily. Her mouth was warm and inviting, if a bit clumsy due to her drowsiness.

Taking the hint Eugene made his way around to his side of the bed where he lay on his side facing her. In the moment after he had resumed his spot on the bed she had moved in closer to him, her face buried against his chest, his chin resting atop her head even as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her a bit closer.

It didn't take long before Eugene began to drift back off to sleep. Julieta's slow steady breathing lulling him back to the realms of dreams and nightmares. Though as content as he was at the moment he suspected that whatever images his mind conjured up for him, they would be pleasant.

With a final huff of contentment he let himself be carried off, it was late after all.

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 **A/N:** Well there we have it, my first foray into the Universe Iron Blooded Orphans. I have no intention of Expanding on this story past its current state though I think I left enough threads that I could if the mood ever strikes me.

I hope that this story inspires people to write their own stories, to create their own worlds.To anyone who is afraid of posting because they think they aren't good enough. The only way to find out is to post it in the first place. Don't live your life consumed by the fear of what other people might think. Do Your Best, tell your story and most importantly create something that you're proud of, that you love. What these other assholes think is irrelevant.


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